Amy Childs had to wipe away tears as she thanked her dad for ‘stepping up’ to become a father figure for her daughter Polly.
Talking to her parents Julie and Billy during Sunday’s episode, the TOWIE star said it was ‘hard’ after her ex ‘walked out’ on her when their tot was only six weeks old.
However the mother-of-two, 30, lavished praise on Billy in an emotional chat and told him it was ‘amazing that you’ve now taken on Polly as one of your own.’
Emotional: Amy Childs had to wipe away tears as she thanked her dad Billy for ‘stepping up’ to become a father figure for her daughter Polly on Sunday night’s episode of TOWIE
Amy started the conversation by saying: ‘I know I do moan at you, you know, waking her up. But she loves you more than anything, you’ve stepped up.
‘Her biological dad has never been around, he walked even when she was six weeks old and we’ve never seen him again, which was obviously hard.’
The brunette beauty then continued: ‘But she’s got you dad, you’re the best dad to me, you’re the best dad ever to me.
‘But for Polly, how amazing that you’ve now took on Polly as one of your own. And she loves you more than anything.’
Doting: Billy was clearly touched by Amy’s kind words, telling her ‘it’s family’ and ‘they’re my life me babies’ about his beloved grandchildren
Clearly touched by his daughter’s kind words, Billy replied: ‘It’s family isn’t it, you know, as long as I got breath in me, with all of them they’re my life me babies, you know what I mean?’
Amy and her mum Julie became visually emotional throughout the candid chat, with both of them having to wipe tears away
The TOWIE star told her father: ‘Polly is so special to us dad. You know what, this is just for me telling you dad, you’re amazing at what you do.
‘You’re an amazing person you’re an amazing role model, isn’t he mum? It’s happy tears but at times it was hard for me mum, you know.’
Motherhood: The TOWIE star is mum to Polly, three, and son Ritchie, two, who she doesn’t show on social media or the reality show
Thankful: Amy told her dad it was ‘amazing that you’ve now took on Polly as one of your own’ adding that the little girl ‘loves you more than anything’
Julie also had a few loving words for her daughter, saying: ‘Listen, we love her [Polly] more than anything. I get upset… I mean, listen, you’ve been on your own over there and I know it’s lonely for you.
‘We wanted the fairy tale that you’d meet someone and be together forever but it’s not worked out like that. But you’re an amazing mum and we’re here for you 24/7.’
Amy shares daughter Polly with her builder ex Bradley Wright, and two-year-old son Ritchie Jr with businessman ex Ritchie.
Amy and Bradley first embarked on a romance in 2013, but split a year later when he was originally sentenced to 18-months behind bars for handling stolen goods.
Family: The mother-of-two had the candid conversation with her mum and dad
Love: Julie told her daughter ‘she was an amazing mum and we’re here for you 24/7’
That conviction followed previous prison terms, including 16-months for theft in 2013 and a spell at a young offenders institute for burglary, handling stolen goods and driving offences in 2010.
The couple reunited following his release, and subsequently welcomed daughter Polly, but split six weeks after her birth.
And in May it was reported that Bradley was back behind bars for arson and handling stolen goods the previous year.
The emotional conversation comes after Amy revealed she ‘lost herself’ for a couple of years, but has finally started to feel like herself again.
The star recently spoke candidly with new! Magazine, and admitted she ‘forgot who she was’ after her daughter Polly and son Ritchie were born, but got her ‘mojo back’ after returning to TOWIE.
Exes: Amy and Bradley first embarked on a romance in 2013 and reunited after he served a jail sentence, but split for good when Polly was just six weeks old (pictured in 2016)
Of her struggle at the time, she explained: ‘I feel like I’ve got my life back! I’ve got my mojo back. A couple of years ago after having the two children I felt like I lost myself a bit.’
Amy added that even her family and friends had told her she was ‘not the fun Amy’ they knew as she struggled with her mental health.
‘I was a little bit down from the break-ups. I forgot who I was. Having two kids is hard work and there’s just 15 months between Polly and Ritchie.
‘Being a mum is the most rewarding job in the world, but you lose yourself and it becomes all about them. I don’t know if I had depression, but I felt very low at times.’
Amy added that she is very happy with her current beau Tim, who she said has a ‘lovely’ relationship with her two children.
Amy returned to the TOWIE scene for the first time in nine years in September, and her daughter Polly even made an appearance on the reality show.
Speaking to The Sun about their parenting styles, she explained that she and Ritchie’s father made the decision to keep their child out of the public eye, which is why he hasn’t been featured on social media or television.
Shockingly, Amy revealed she had been accused of not loving her son as much due to the decision.
She explained: ‘He is a beautiful little boy, he is like a mini-me and of course I love him every bit as much as Polly. Polly has a different dad and I made different decision with Polly and it is that simple.’
Amy has protected Ritchie’s privacy so fiercely that his name was not even revealed until March this year, when she accidentally let it slip in an interview.
Adorable: Polly has appeared on recent episodes of TOWIE however her little brother Ritchie is not seen on social media or TV